President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday afternoon making English the official language of the U.S. This is the first time in 250 years that America has had an official language on the federal level.
Trump’s executive action is meant to foster national unity and civil engagement while improving government efficiency. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Trump’s order on Friday morning, citing White House officials.
His action will also rescind a federal mandate for agencies to provide language assistance to non–English speakers, but departments will still be allowed to deliver documents and services in other languages.
English is the most common language spoken in the U.S., and most Americans use it for almost every aspect of their lives. More than two dozen U.S. states have made English their official language, and 78 percent of the U.S. population speaks only English.
English is taught to all school-age children and is the predominant language used in American governance and pop culture. With the internet and globalization, English as a common denominator across nations has made it an even more important tool for American society and international affairs.
Because of America’s long history of immigration, hundreds of languages are spoken nationwide, and Spanish is particularly common given the waves of immigration from Hispanic countries. Historically, immigration to America has been coupled with a culture of assimilation; new arrivals have adopted American ideals and become productive members of society.
To become a naturalized American citizen, immigrants in most cases must pass an English fluency test that measures their reading, writing, and speaking ability.
Trump’s declaration of English as the official language of the U.S. is part of a broader federal crackdown on illegal immigration across the southern border. The Trump administration has overseen a staggering drop in monthly border encounters and has begun mass deportations during the first month of Trump’s second term.
Trump has criticized illegal migrants who come into the U.S. and enroll in schools without the ability to speak English. He also criticized GOP rival Jeb Bush in 2015 for speaking Spanish during the campaign, although Trump’s presidential campaigns have spent millions on Latino outreach as more Hispanics have voted for the GOP.
Various polls dating back to the mid-2000s show strong popular support for making English the official language and preserving English as the common American language. Most Americans, including immigrants, also believe that immigrants should be able to speak English.